BIONANOTECHNOLOGY OF DNA METHYLTRANSFERASE-DIRECTED NUCLEOPROTEIN ASSEMBLY

摘要

Studies of the mechanism of action of the DNA (cytosine-5) methyltransferases show that these enzymes can be modified to serve as components of a system for directed nucleoprotein assembly. This bionanotechnological approach is making it possible to produce addressable self-assembling nanostructures and devices with a variety of applications in biotechnology, bioscience and medicine. Recent progress in the use of this technology in the construction of machines and devices promises to permit the construction of smart biosensors and programmable devices with the sophistication of prebiotic metabolosomes and small viruses.